A UNIQUE PANORAMA IN ALSACE

The Hohlandsbourg Castle sits at 620 metres upon a natural panoramic viewpoint along the mountain border between Alsace and Lorraine. Since the Bronze Age, from 1300 to 750 BC, this site was a strategic and highly-coveted site. It boasts a unique 360° view overlooking the Alsace Plains and the Black Forest.

from the 13th to the 17th centuries

The Hohlandsbourg Castle was built in 1279, at the behest of Rudolf of Habsburg to watch over the imperial city of Colmar as well as the western borders of Further Austria. The upper part of the castle dates from this period, also called the “Château-Haut.” 

From 1300 BC to 750 BC

Long before the medieval fortified castle was built, this site covering 400m by 200m had already been occupied since the Bronze Age as this peak was not only well-situated but also naturally supplied in water thanks to a source known as the “Lisenbrunnen”.

From 1840 to today

The site was listed as a French Historic Monument as of 1840 but unfortunately this didn’t prevent the Castle from slowly deteriorating despite some works undertaken in the 1970s by Mr. Denni, President of the Association for Castle Restoration in the canton of Wintzenheim who was very keen to spontaneously and voluntarily prevent more damage being done to the Castle.   

The scope and urgency of this work sometimes exceeded the means provided by the association. This is why in 1979, the Conseil Général (General Council) implemented a policy of “urgent work on Castles”. This action was confirmed by the second regional charter associating help from the departments and from the Conseil Régional d’Alsace (Regional Council of Alsace).